Rotary steam engine



w. H. NEWELL ROTARY STEAM ENGINE Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,519

Filed Juxile 18, 1927 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Attornqy Feb. 28, 1928.1,660,519

w. H. NEWELL ROTARY STEAM ENGINE,

Filed June 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor l6 Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,519

'W. H. NEWELL ROTARY STEAM ENGINE File d June 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Attornqy Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES WOBTBEY H- WE L 0 LF Herm s some R AR STEAM NG NE-Application filed June 18,

The present invention relates to a rotary steam engine and has for itsprime object to provide a ring-like casing with pistons movable thereinand connectedwith a rotary disc or the like on a shaft and valve meansfor controlling the inlet and outlet of the steam and abutments forallowing the steam to expand between the abutments and the pistons toprovide the rotary motion, and means for operating the abutments andvalves in unison.

Another very important object of the in vention resides in theimprovement of the arrangement of the parts to provide a compara-tivelysimple structure which is thoroughly efficientand reliable in operation,and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

lVith the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features ofconstruction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed; r i a In the drawing:

Figure -1 is a sectional elevation of the engine embodying the featuresof my invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view therethrough taken substantially on theline 2 2 of Fig ure 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-8 ofFigure2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken sube stantiallyon the line 4-4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the packing adjustingmeans,

Figure 6 is a face view of onset the valves. 4

Referring to the drawing'in detail it will be seen that the numeral 5denotes a shaft with a disc 6 fixed thereto. A casing com prisesring-like'sections 7 and 8 which are secured together by bolts 9 or inany other, suitable manner. The inner edges of the casingsare providedwith annular extensions 10. The disc 6 extends between the extensions 10and the inner edges of the sections? and 8 and has flanges 11 whichextend into the extensions 10. Annular packing 12 is disposed in theextensions and held against the lower edges of the sections 7 and 8 andagainst the flanges 11 by means of bolts 14 threaded into the extensions10 and having their interior ends hollow as is indicated at 1927. SerialNo. 199,717.

15 to receive packing engaging elements 16 which are spring pressedoutwardly as'at 17 Lock nuts. 18 are provided on the bolts 14 so thatafter being adjusted they maybe locked against accidental displacement.On diametrically opposite sides of the disc 6 there are formed pistons19, in the present instance, two in number. These pistons 19 are movablein the casing formed by the sections 7 and 8. The section! 8 is formedin the present instance with threehousings 20 having removable covers21: These housings are formed with a central compartment 22 and sidecompartments 23 and 245 the latter two forming steam chests An inletpipe 25 leads to theasteam chest compart ment 23 and-an exhaust steampipe 2 6' leads from the exhaust steam chest compartment 1 24. Passages27 have apertured communi cations 28 with the interior-of the casingformed by sections 7 and 8 and with the steam chest. 23 throughapertures 29.

to pass through the passage 27 and apertures 28 into the main pistoncasing. A valve 32 is mounted in; the chest 24 and has passages 33 whichmay be brought into registry with apertures '34 leading into a pas-vsage 35 apertured in c ommunication with the piston casing as at 36. l

All of the casings or housings 20 are of identicalconstruction and forthe purpose of clearness, only one will be referred to in detail as faras the speoiticstru cture is concerned. A cam element 40 is keyed on theshaft 5 and has cam humps 41 at diametrically opposite points inalinement with the pistons 19. Y A rod 42 is slidable valve 30 isslidable in the chests 23 and has through a bearing 43 in the inner endof the housing 20 andfhas ayoke44 engaged therewith 111 any suitablemanner and hav ing its branches extending up throughbearings 45 into thechests 23 and 24 and has the extremities of the branches formed with iof one of the humps 11 the abutment 51 is swung into the compartment 22as is illustrated in Figure 3, and of course at this time one of thepistons 19 is passing by the housing 20. As soon as the piston passes byand the roller 47 slips off the hump 41 the abutment 51 is swung backinto the casing and the steam will expand between this abutment and thepiston which has just passed by. V

The details of constructionhave been described with sufiicientparticularity to now appreciate the full operation of the engine. Theshaft, in Figure 1, is rotating in a counter-clockwise direction and asis apparent from Figure 2 one of the pistons namely the upper piston hasjust passed the uppermost housing 20 so that steam is entering throughthe inlet 25, steam chest 28, and as soon as the roller 47 movescompletely oil the hump &1 said steam will pass through passages 31 andopenings 29 into passage 27 and through apertures 28 to expand betweenthe uppermost abutments and the uppermost pistons and drive said pistonin Figure 2 in a counter-clockwise direction as said lower piston isbeing driven from the lower left-hand housing 20 as will be apparentwithout furtheir detailed description. It is to be noted that theexhaust passages are always open since the steam exhausting outwardlythrough the passages 34 maintains the valve 32 pushed back so that thepassage is free.

In the same way the intake steam maintains the valve 30 in abutment withthe wall in which the openings 29 are provided. It

i will be apparent that the steam may be enmerely. by way of examplesince in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumeratedas desirable in the statement of the invention and the abovedescription.

Having thus descr bed my invention, what I clalm as new 1s:--

1. Arotary steam engine of theclass described comprising a ring-likehollow casing, a piston movable in the casing, a housing on the casingform-ed with a central compartment and a pair of steam chests one toeach side of the central compartment, said housing provided withpassages leading from the steam chests into the interior of the casing,a pair of valves one in each chest, a yoke having its extremitiesslidable in the chests, means for providing a loose connection betweenthe extremities of the yoke and the valves, steam intake meansassociated with one chest, steam exhaust means associated with the otherchest, said valve formed with passages to register with the passagesfirst mentioned, the inlet valve being held inoperative position by theincom- 7 ing steam and the exhaust valve being held in inoperativeposition by the exhaust steam because of the loose connections with theyoke.

2. A rotary steam engine oft-he class deeach side of thecentralcompartment, said housing provided with passages leading from the steamchests into the interior of the casing, a pair of valves one in eachchest, a yoke having its extremities slidable in the chests, means forproviding aloose connece tion between the extremities of the yoke andthe valves, steam intake means; associated with one chest, steam exhaustmeans associated with the other chest, said valve formed with passagesto register with the passages first mentioned,- the inlet valve beingheld in operative position by the incoming steam and the exhaust valvebeing held in inoperative position by the exhaust steam because of theloose/ connections with the yoke, an abutment swingably mounted in, thecompartment, means for swinging the abutment in and out of the casingand the compartment, said means operating in unison with said yoke.

In testimony whereof I ture.

WOBTHEY H. NEWELL.

